Wimbledon 2011 at All England Lawn Tennis Club

After taking time off for injuries and a near-fatal illness, 2-time defending champion Serena Williams returns to Wimbledon as a favorite to defend her title at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Jon Decker reports.

How many times in the past year did we state that the women’s field in tennis was wide open because of the absence of Serena and Venus Williams?

It was like hoisting a huge “Vacancy” sign over the field at each tournament.

Serena Williams will turn 30 in September. The former World No. 1 in women’s tennis has been missing since last year’s Wimbledon final, after cutting her foot on glass, requiring surgery. Both sisters have been ill or injured for the better part of a year.

It is fitting, however, that they return to center stage during the tournament at the All England Club because the sisters have won nine of the last 11 finals on Centre Court at Wimbledon.

Venus Williams has won five titles while her younger sister Serena Williams has won 4.

Serena Williams ’s first round opponent at this year’s Wimbledon will be Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai who will not be a cupcake. The 2 met in 2010 in Sydney with Williams winning in 3 hard-fought sets.

Should Serena Williams advance to the 4th round, she could meet the No. 9 seed, another Frenchwoman, Marion Bartoli who had an exhilarating French Open. In Paris Bartoli advanced to the semifinals where she lost to defending champion Francesca Schiavone.

Bartoli has played in one Wimbledon final, facing Venus Williams in 2007. She lost in straight sets to the elder Williams.

Eventually Serena could face Li Na of China in the quarterfinals. But there are four rounds between now and then.

Venus Williams is on the opposite side of the draw from her sister, seeded Number 23. Her first round opponent is Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan.

In the third round Venus might face the No. 15 seed, Jelena Jankovic as well as the Number 2 seed Vera Zvonareva in the fourth round.

Also in Venus’s quarter of the draw are Svetlana Kuznetsova, the Number 12 seed, Yanina Wickmayer, the Number 19 seed and the Number 8 seed, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.

If Venus could play without the residue of rust, this would be an excellent draw for the former champion.
Now at age 31, with very little match experience, due in large part to a nagging hip injury, you have to wonder if the elder Williams’ natural talent can carry her once again to a Wimbledon final.

In the women’s field at this year’s Wimbledon tournament, odds-makers rank Maria Sharapova best, followed by Serena, then Venus Williams. Coming in fourth is Li Na of China.